Bottle-cooler



UNrrsn Srarns PATENT @rrrca.

EPHRAIM TRUXALL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTLE-COOLER.

SFBCIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,217, dated November18, 1884.

Application filed August .2, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EPHRAIM TRUXALL, a resident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new andusefulImprovement in Bottie-Coolers; and 'I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan Viewof my improved bottle-cooler, the lid of the outer box being shown openand the lid of the inner or ice box closed. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross-section on the line 00 w of Fig. 1, the lids of bothboxes beingshown closed. Fig. 3 is a similar longitudinal section on the line 3 yof the same figure. Fig. 4 is a plan view .of the bottom of the innerice-box. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the rack used in supporting thebottles and the ice-box within the cooler, and is a horizontal sectionon the line 2 z of Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the severalfigures.

It is the object of my invention to provide means whereby bottlescontaining beer or other beverages may be stored in a convenientrefrigerator or cooling-box which will be easy of access and effectivein its cooling properties. I accomplish this by placing an ice-boxwithin an outer box or case, somewhat above the bottom thereof, andarranging the bottles on the bottom of the case around the ice-box,which is provided with lateral openings and water-exits to secureperfect draining of the ice and circulation of cold air therefrom aroundthe bottles. It is in such an arrangement, together with severalmodifications and accessories, that my invention consists.

Referring now to the drawings, a represents the outer box or case of myimproved bottlecooler. It may be made of any desirable shape or size,with the sides single or packed with a non-conductor of heat, and isprovided with a lid or cover, a, to exclude air from the contents. Theice-box and the bottles are supported within the case a by means of arack or frame, I), situate on the bottom of the case, and having socketsor nests Z) around its outer periphery to. receive the bottles (1. Iprefer to make this rack, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, of stripsof wood or metal intersecting at right angles, so that there may be aseries of outer rectangular bottle-nests, b, and a row of inner nests, bthe partitions of which inner nests support the ice-box c. To this end Iprefer to make the distance between the longitudinal partitions of theinner spaces, b the same as the width of the lower part of the ice-box,and to make the transverse partitions of the same somewhat lower. Byconstructing the bottom of the ice-box of less width and length than acrosssection of the upper part of the same it will have a flanged seat,0 which seats upon the outer partitions of the nests I), while itsbottom rests upon the lower cross-partitions, thereby holding the boxfirmly in position on the rack somewhat above the bottom of the case a.In the sides of the ice-box c are perforations or air-holes 0,preferably situate somewhat below the median line of the sides, and thecorners of the flanged seat a are also perforated, as at a so that theair may flow into the holes 0" through the ice in the box 0, and thenceout of the passages 0 around the bottles. In this way the coolingproperties of the ice are thoroughly utilized and the space in the caseto outside of the ice-box kept constantly supplied with cold air. Thewater from the melting ice in the ice-box is drained off throughperforations c in the bottom thereof onto the bottom of the outer case,a, or into a pan situate thereon.

Bya series of experiments I have found that if the ice be allowed torest upon the bottom of the box 0 directly over the water-outlets 0there will be a considerable waste caused by direct contactof theicewith the warmer air outside of and beneath the box. To obviate this Iseparate the ice from the water-outlets by means of an inner falsebottom, 6, which inclines, preferably, in a V form from the seat 0 oneach side of the box toward its middle part,'and is provided with alongitudinal gutter, f, at the base of the incline. This gutter may alsoslope from each end toward an intermediate point where a single wateroutlet or hole is made, or there may be a number of such holes along thegroove, as preferred. The inclined sides of the false bottom 6 may becorrugated, so as the more readily to carry off the water from themelting ice. The result of this construction is that the water flowsthrough the exit or exits in the gutter f onto the bottom of theice-box, and thence through the holes upon the bottom of the the box 0and around the bottles, the cold air continually descending from theholes 0 and the warmer air ascending into the ice through the holes 0and through the water-outlets c in the bottom of the ice-box. Theinclined bottom 0 should be cut away over the holes 0 in the flangedseat so as not to interfere with the flow of air therethrough.

As before mentioned, the beer-bottles are set in the rack 11 on thebottom of the case a. The object of this is to allow the water from themelting ice to settle on the bottom of the case around the bottles, andthereby to utilize the cooling properties of all the waste material.into contact with all the bottles by cutting away passages 011 thebottom of the partitions of the rack. (Shown at d in Figs. 2 and 3.) Therack Z) keeps the bottles and the ice-box in a constantly uprightposition and prevents their displacement if the case a should be tiltedor upset, and to hold the ice-box more secure ly I provide two or moreof its upper corners with loops or rings h, into which fit hooks '12,the shanks of which extend to the loops from pivotal points 1" on therack b. The rack is secured to the case a in any desirable manner. Thespecial advantage of setting the ice-box 0 upon the rack b is that itsbottom is lifted above the surface of the water in the case a. This is avery desirable feature of my improvement, since it prevents contact withthe water from melting the ice and from stopping circulation of airthrough the passages c. The water in the case a may be drawn off fromtime to time through a suitable faucet.

I prefer to make the ice-box c of sheet metal and the case a of wood,though other suitable materials may be used. The box '0 may be providedwith handles by which it may readi-ly be removed and cleaned as occasionmay require.

The chilled water is permited to come By use of my improvement the icein the ice-box may be kept for a longer time than in any other form ofrefrigerator of this class which is known to me. This is due to theperfect means it possesses for keeping the ice dry and securingcirculation of air.

Having thus described my improvement so that others skilled in the artto which it appertains may manufacture and use it, what I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bottle-cooler having an ice-box situate within an outer box orcase, a, said case a provided at the bottom with a suitable frame orrack for supporting bottles placed within partitions thereof, on thebottom of said case, and around said ice-box, said ice-box havinglateral passages and openings on the bottom for circulation of air anddischarge of melted ice therefrom onto the bottom of said case,substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A bottle-cooler having an ice-box situate within an outer box orcase, a, said case a provided at the bottom with a suitable frame orrack for supporting bottles placed within partitions thereof, on thebottom of said case and around said ice-box, said ice-box having lateral passages and openings on thebottom for circulation of air anddischarge of melted ice therefrom onto the bottom of said case, thepartitions of said rack being provided with inferior passages d topermit circulation of water around the bottles, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

3. The combination, in a bottle-cooler having an inner ice-box situatewithin an outer case or box, of the rack b, with the flanged seat 0 andhooks z for holding said ice-box in position upon said rack,substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination, in a bottle-cooler, with the inclined interiorbottom of the ice-box c,'

